ABSTRACT

This chapter outlines why some corrections are more effective than others. It focuses on how successfully corrected misinformation can shape beliefs, attitudes, and trust. Corrected misinformation also continues to shape attitudes and opinions in non-political contexts. The chapter discusses factors that contribute to a correction’s success at debunking misinformation. Many of the empirical findings about what makes corrections successful are to some extent common sense. The chapter describes several factors that affect the likelihood of a correction being accepted. These factors include individual-level characteristics as well as aspects of the correction. The existence of motivated reasoning means that when a piece of misinformation reflects directly on someone’s identity, it will be more difficult to correct. Research on motivated reasoning has offered evidence that cognitive reflection actually promotes the formation and maintenance of beliefs congruent with one’s identity and leads to a higher chance of ‘System 2 motivated reasoning’ or opinion polarization.